Fourth to louis peterson



Patented 1an. 3|, |899. C. A. NELSON.

SEWING AWL.

(Application led Aug'. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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A TTOHNEYS.

Nrrn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ANTON NELSON, OF GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO LOUIS PETERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

S EW] NG-AWL.

sPEoIFIcA'rIoN forming para of Letters Patent No. 618,716, dated January si, 189e.

Application filed August 12, 1 898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ANTON NEL- sON, of Gladstone, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Awls, of which the foilowing is a full, clear, and exact description..

The object of my invention is to provide an awl,which may be termed a f snap-awl, particularly adapted for carrying a thread through an opening made by the awl, the awl being so constructed that the eye in the awl maybe expeditiously and conveniently closedl or opened by the action of the thumb of the hand which grasps the awl.

Another object of the invention is to provide an awl especially adapted for passing thread through harness, boots or shoes, or any article made of fabric or leather, the awl being exceedingly simple, durable, and economic in its construction and also simple in its operation.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of one section of the handle of the awl, illustrating in side elevation the mechanism contained Within the handle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an exterior view of one side of the handle and one side of the needle of the awl, the eye of the needle being closed.

The handle A is preferably made in two sections 10 and 11, the two being connected at the top by a ferrule 12 and at or near the bottom bya screw 13 or its equivalent. The section 10 is provided with a chamber 13a, and upon the inner face of the section 11 a plate 14: is countersunk,which plate is provided at one edge with a lip 15, the lip being at an angle to the plate, extending within the chamber 13a of the handle-section 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The said lip is provided at its free end with a slot or a recess 16, as shown particularly in Fig. l.

The needle Bis constructed in two sections Serial No. 688,429. (No model.)

17 and 1S, the section 17 being stationary and the section 18 mounted to slide on the stationary section. The section 17 extends through the ferrule into the chamber 13 of the handle and is secured in any suitable 0r approved manner to the lip 15, as shown at 19 in Fig. 2. The stationary section 17 of the needle is provided near its point with an eye 20 inA its inner face and with a projecting or undercut lug 21 slightly above or beyond the eye, the lug being located between the eye and the point of the needle, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The upper end of the sliding section 18 of the needle is beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when the section 18 of the needle is slid outward on the fixed section 17 the beveled surface 22l will enter the space below the lug 21, as shown in Fig. 3, and close the eye 20. The fixed section of the needle is also preferably provided at each side with a longitudinal groove 20, capable of receiving a cord or a thread,which may be passed'through the eye 20.

The lower end of the sliding section 18 of the needle extends loosely downward through the ferrule 12 and into the chamber 13, terminating at its lower endv usually in a crankarm 23, which arm is passed through an eye 24, and said eye is formed at the lower end of a shifting rod 25, held to slide in suitable guides on the face-plate 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The shifting rod is provided with a handle 26, which extends out through an opening 27 beyond the side of the handle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In the operation of this awl when the needle has been passed through material such as harness, for example, and it is desired to carry a thread or a cord through the opening made by the needle the handle 26 is pressed downward, which will cause the sliding section 18 of the needle to uncover the eye 20. The thread or cord is then placed in the eye, the handle 26 is forced upward, and the sliding section is closed over the eye of the needle, as shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the needle may be drawn out from the harness and the cord or thread will necessarily follow. In this manner the awl may be used as a substitute for an ordinary needle, and in many instances it is to be preferred to the ordinary needle.

IOO

The aWl is exceedingly useful in mending harness or in sewing any thick material.

The undercut lug 21 of the fixed section of the aWl serves as a lock for the sliding section when the beveled portion 22 oi the sliding section is brought in engagement with said lug. The lip l5 assists in holding the sliding section of the aWl in its adjusted position, since it causes the upper or outer portion of the sliding section to be always in firm frictional engagement with the corresponding lixed portion of the aWl.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. An awl consisting of a hand-le, a needle comprising two sections, a iXed and a movable section, both sections extending within the handle, the fixed section being provided with an eye and the movable section being adapted to pass across the eye, the two seetions at their outer ends being arranged for interlocking engagement, a shifting rod held to slide in the handle, a portion of the rod extending outside of the handle, a connection able section, the fixed section being provided With an open eye and side grooves, and the movable section being adapted to travel across the open eye of the fixed section, means for locking the movable section when carried across the said eye, a shifting rod located Within the handle, connected with the mov` able section of the eye, a portion of the shifting rod extending out through a slot in the handle, and means, substantially as described, for forcing the outer end portion of the movable section of the needle into engagement with the corresponding portion of the fixed section of the needle, for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES ANTON NELSON. lVitnesses:

ALFRED P.` SMITH, LoUIs PETERSON. 

